1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to work lights and, more particularly, to adjustable work lights capable of being clamped to a surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, a wide variety of portable work lights have been developed for use as trouble lights, workbench lights, automobile repair work lights, etc. The most common work light used in such environments is the conventional trouble light which uses an incandescent or halogen bulb mounted in a socket surrounded by a protective shroud. A fixed hook is mounted on the top of the shroud so that the work light may be hung from a nail or hook.
More recently, a variety of portable work lights have been developed that use a light housing mounted at one end of an elongated support member that can be used as a grip handle. The light housing is designed to pivot up and down or rotate around one end of the support member. Fixed or pivotally mounted to the opposite end of the support member is a clamp. A hook may also be attached to one end of the support member so that the work light may be hung from an object or surface.
While the above referenced portable work lights have improved the workman""s ability to attach a work light to different surfaces or objects and to direct the light to a desired area on the workspace, movement of the light housing, the clamp, and the hook are limited so that the work light can be adjusted only along two axes. What is needed is a work light that can be adjusted along three axes.
It is an object of the invention to provide a portable work light with an elongated grip handle for easy handling, a pivotal light housing attached at one end on the grip handle, and an single hand operated, adjustable clamp member attached to the opposite end of the grip handle.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a portable work light in which the light housing may be adjusted along one axis, and the clamp member may be adjusted along two different axes, thereby providing a work light capable of being adjusted along three axes.
These and other objects of the present invention are met by a portable work light comprising an elongated grip handle, a light housing pivotally mounted to the proximal end of the grip handle, a two-axis adjustable joint disposed at the opposite, distal end of the grip handle, and an adjustable clamp member attached to the two-axes adjustable joint. Such a work light enables the user to finely adjust and lock the work light in position along three different axes so that the desired work area is illuminated. An optional hook may also be provided that pivotally attaches either to the joint used to attach the light housing to the grip handle or to the two-axes adjustable joint on the grip handle
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.